Virtually Down Under

Posted on August 25, 2021 by vanbraman

This afternoon I was virtually down under for a meeting in Sydney, so will share a few memories from Australia.

BBQ, Barbie, Australia, Australian BarbieOne of my memories was having a lunchtime barbie at the office in North Ryde.

Blue Mountains - Australia - Rock Formation - Katoomba - GeologyI am also having memories of visiting the Blue Mountains. They are so beautiful.

Taronga Zoo - Sydney Harbour - Sydney Australia - Opera House - Zoo with a ViewI like to visit the Taronga Zoo when I go to Sydney. It has such a beautiful setting.

Sydney Harbour - February 2014 - Winter Olympics Sochi - Winter Olympics in SummerVisiting Central Sydney is always a good weekend activity. I always enjoy the views of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Laughing Kookabura - Dacelo novaeguineae - Giant Kingfisher - Kookaburra Tail FeathersI also like to take evening walks near where I stay and look for interesting birds like this Kookabura.

Just some quick memories.

Steven

Posted in Australia, Bridges, Culture, Memories, Nature, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Carpenter Bee with Roses

Posted on August 24, 2021 by vanbraman

Tonight I will share some pictures of a valley carpenter bee (Xylocopa varipuncta).

valley carpenter bee (Xylocopa varipuncta), female bee, black bee, rose gardenHere is my first glimpse of the valley carpenter bee, she is mostly hidden by the bloom.

valley carpenter bee (Xylocopa varipuncta), female bee, black bee, rose gardenHow do I know that this bee is a female?

The male of this species is gold and the female is a metallic black.

valley carpenter bee (Xylocopa varipuncta), female bee, black bee, rose gardenIt was easy to keep an eye on her and follow her around the rose garden as the valley carpenter bee is the largest bee in California and can be as large as an inch in length.

valley carpenter bee (Xylocopa varipuncta), female bee, black bee, rose gardenI really like the coloring on this rose. Despite the high temperatures we have had lately there were some nice blooms on the bushes.

valley carpenter bee (Xylocopa varipuncta), female bee, black bee, rose gardenI have been trying to capture some good pictures of a female valley carpenter bee for quite some time. I thing I finally did.

If you want to see what the male valley carpenter bee looks like, click here.

Steven

Posted in Animals, California, Flowers, Nature | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment